1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air purifying and ventilating means for beds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nursing homes, hospitals or private homes where invalid patients are confined often have problems in connection with odors emanating from the patients body, open wounds and the like. Seriously ill patients often cannot leave their beds and the whole life cycle of the patients takes place in the bed. It is often difficult to avoid annoying odors which develop. Annoying odors can also develop from wounds or cuts or during the change of surgical dressing. These odors pose a hardship not only to the patient but to those caring for the patient and other occupants of adjacent areas.
Many hospitals and retirement homes have adopted "egg crate" foam mattress pads in an attempt to increase the air circulation and comfort of the patients. Although foam pads increase patient comfort, they do not allow a continuous supply of fresh air around the patients body.
The present invention has as its object to provide a simple and economical means for ventilating a bed beneath the bedcover to purify foul air so as to render the same substantially odor-free when the air is discharged from the bed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable bed ventilating device which is easily concealed beneath a conventional bedcover and which adds less than one inch to the length of the bed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bed ventilating device which produces an air movement which is barely detectable by the user and which produces negligible body heat loss.
Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.